Happy St. Valentine’s Day, kids! Blumhouse is helping us pre-game with a trailer for the latest moviesode from Into the Dark. Down premieres on Feb. 1 exclusively on Hulu. Let’s talk about that trailer!
One of the things I like the most about Blumhouse is their ability to cut compelling trailers that hint at storylines but never give the whole plot away. That seems to be a real feat in this day and age. I’ve seen the latest episode of Into the Dark. While you get a good notion of what the vibe of Down will be, trust and believe you will not be spoiled by watching the trailer.
Going Down
Everybody’s been there. You’ve had a long day at work. You get in the elevator and freedom starts to wash over you. Then, you hear it. What was it? Your stomach must be growling. Maybe someone farted. Rats could be holding their version of WrestleMania in the walls. Just, please don’t let it be a problem with the elevator. And, most of the time it is not an issue with the elevator. Well, maybe it is, but the thing keeps moving. So, all good! That’s not the case here. Things are not all good.
The trailer opens up on Jennifer (Natalie Martinez) leaving a desperate video memo on her phone. It’s Feb.15 and she’s been trapped on an elevator. In the next shot, we see she’s holding a plane ticket for the night of Feb. 13. So, at the time of recording, Jennifer has been stuck all of Valentine’s Day. What a bummer.
But, the array of images we see next show that there’s someone else on the elevator with her. That’s a good thing, right? Well, Guy (Matt Lauria) seems to be a nice enough guy. But it appears some Lord of the Flies level shenanigans take place. The interior of the elevator is destroyed. There’s blood, angst and Jennifer/Guy laying unconscious on the floor.
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No one is helping them. Surely, there’s a security guard somewhere. But, that guard is not at the control desk where it appears all camera footage of the elevator is being deleted. This is bad. You feel a real sense of pressure and desperation. Guy sums things up by sadly and explicitly wishing Jennifer a Happy Valentine’s Day.
Down is the first episode of Into the Dark that’s a straight-up horror thriller. There are some funny moments for sure. Twists happen. They’re organic and not forced on the characters. But the narrative and arc of the plot are dark and scary. Pooka! gut-punched me in the last few minutes. New Year, New You had a sinister scheme. Both of those episodes made you laugh and kept a balance in place. Down just reaches further and further into the pit of your stomach. I felt trapped and helpless, myself.
This is the first writing credit for Kent Kubena. He executive produced last year’s 24 Hours to Live, which starred Ethan Hawke and Rutger Hauer. Down is directed by Daniel Stamm (Fear the Walking Dead). The episode drops on Hulu on Feb. 1. Look for my review next week.
Are you watching Blumhouse’s Into the Dark? Will you check out Down on February 1? Let’s discuss in the comments!